It leads to illness, including life-threatening necrotising fasciitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC says about one in five people with a Vibrio vulnificus infection die. It is not clear how the person contracted the bacteria. Usually, the bacteria are contracted by exposing an open wound to contaminated water or by eating raw or undercooked seafood, including oysters. According to the state health department, two of the Vibrio vulnificus deaths in Louisiana earlier this year happened in those who ate contaminated raw oysters. Flesh-eating bacteria deaths spreading to other states Experts believe the rise in cases is happening because of warming oceans. Usually, the bacteria are found in the Gulf Coast but have now begun to become more common further north. In the last ten years, Louisiana has reported at least seven infections and one death every year. Since the beginning of this year, authorities say more than 25 cases have been officially documented. There have also been other reports of bacteria in Alabama and three in Mississippi, one of which was fatal. There have been 13 reported cases of the bacteria in Florida, with eight deaths. What are the signs and symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus? Experts say the symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus infection come on suddenly, usually within 24 hours after you come in contact with the bacteria. They include:

• High fever
• Chills
• Skin redness or rash that quickly becomes swollen and painful
• Fluid-filled blisters on your skin that are large, discoloured, or painful
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Dizziness, fainting, or weakness
• Confusion or altered mental state
• Fast heart rate

Vibriosis causes severe gastroenteritis along with vomiting and diarrhoea. How do you get a Vibrio vulnificus infection? Vibrio vulnificus bacteria cause the most serious forms of vibriosis. You get it from eating raw shellfish (usually oysters). The incubation period is short, and doctors say it only takes a few hours for it to spread from your intestines to your blood and other organs. You can also get it from seawater entering a wound or a break in your skin. Most people get vibriosis between May and October, when the water temperatures are warmer. Ways to treat Vibrio vulnificus According to doctors, a dose of antibiotics can cure a Vibrio vulnificus infection, especially if caught early. Other treatments to keep skin infections from spreading and to treat conditions like shock are also used, which include:

• Surgical debridement is used to clean out dead tissue from your wounds
• Draining fluid from blisters
• Amputation
• Medication to treat low blood pressure
• Intravenous fluids
• Oxygen therapy